Ben Group

Ben is a group of women from the Koulikoro neighborhood of the city of Koutiala. They know each other well and live in large, traditional families with their husbands, children, and other relatives. They average 33 years old, are married, and all have at least 4 children.

This group of women sells various items such as clothing, firewood, and sundries. The group members decided to join the Soro Yiriwaso loan program in order to increase their business. This is their eighth group loan.

Mariam (standing in front, dressed in dark blue damask) is a member of the Ben group and sells firewood. She plans on using her loan to buy large loads of high-quality wood in the brush land near Koutiala that she will retail to a diverse clientele.

While the other members of the Ben group plan on earning an average income of 100,000 CFA Francs each during this cycle, Mariam plans on earning 115,000 CFA Francs. In addition to repaying loans, the women use part of their income to cover personal expenses and to increase their business capital. They hope to strengthen their partnership with Soro Yiriwaso so that they always have inventory to sell.

Additional Information

Important Information

Soro Yiriwaso is a microfinance institution that works primarily in rural and semi-urban areas of Mali to provide underprivileged communities with access to financial services.The organization facilitates access for disadvantaged clients, particularly women, to new resources and services, fostering solidarity and cooperation among its clients. Kiva lenders’ funds will enable Soro Yiriwaso to expand its outreach and target even more underserved Malians involved in business and agriculture.

This is a Group Loan

In a group loan, each member of the group receives an individual loan but is part of a larger group of individuals. The group is there to provide support to the members and to provide a system of peer pressure, but groups may or may not be formally bound by a group guarantee. In cases where there is a group guarantee, members of the group are responsible for paying back the loans of their fellow group members in the case of delinquency or default.

Kiva's Field Partners typically feature one borrower from a group. The loan description, sector, and other attributes for a group loan profile are determined by the featured borrower's loan. The other members of the group are not required to use their loans for the same purpose.